No. 2 Michigan rolls past Iowa 95-67

(AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

By NOAH TRISTER

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) Trey Burke rushed into the frontcourt, trying to take advantage of a 2-on-1 break. At the last moment, he softly lobbed the ball toward the rim, where Glenn Robinson III slammed it through the hoop.

That was the beginning of Michigan's latest offensive clinic, a highlight reel of dunks, 3-pointers, smooth ball handling and smart passing that overwhelmed Iowa in a 95-67 rout Sunday. Burke had 19 points and a career-high 12 assists for the second-ranked Wolverines. Robinson had 20 points and 10 rebounds.

With 7:00 remaining in the first half, Michigan had only 17 points, making the eventual final score that much more startling.

"We've been in a lot of games where 15 minutes into the first half, we might have had a double-digit lead," coach John Beilein said. "We didn't have that today. We closed well, and then we came out in the second half and really played good from the get-go."

Michigan (15-0, 2-0 Big Ten) is a win away from matching the program's best start to a season. The 1985-86 team began 16-0.

Devyn Marble scored 14 points for the Hawkeyes, who were holding opponents to 37 percent shooting before facing Michigan. The Wolverines shot 58 percent from the field and 10 of 22 from 3-point range.

Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 19 points for Michigan.

The Wolverines aren't a team that tries to force the tempo, but they routed Northwestern 94-66 on Thursday and beat Iowa by the same margin. It was the fourth straight game in which Michigan made at least 10 shots from 3-point range.

It was the third time in four games the Wolverines scored at least 90 points. They've never previously averaged more than 67 under Beilein.

"We always thought, as we were trying to develop a coaching philosophy with my staff - and I have a great staff - that we wouldn't change if we got more athletic," Beilein said. "Some of these principles will still work, even if you did have better speed. ... We've always run wherever I've been, but we run a little faster now, jump a little higher."

And score a little quicker.

Iowa (11-4, 0-2) raced out to a 7-0 lead, and the Hawkeyes led 21-17 when Burke found Robinson for that alley-oop on the break. A 3-pointer by Hardaway gave Michigan a 26-23 lead, but Marble answered with a rare four-point play at the other end.

That stemmed the tide only momentarily. Freshman Mitch McGary blocked a shot for Michigan, leading to a transition layup by Burke and a 33-29 lead. Moments later, Hardaway threw down a one-handed dunk off a bounce pass from Burke to make it 42-35.

Robinson finished the half by barely beating the buzzer for a layup that gave the Wolverines a 46-35 advantage.

Hardaway opened the second half with a 3-pointer. Freshman Nik Stauskas drove for a dunk and scored on a spin move. Hardaway made another 3-pointer and Iowa coach Fran McCaffery subbed a whole new team of five players into the game.

It was 58-40 after Burke's acrobatic bank shot, and at that point, Michigan had scored 41 points in under 11 minutes.

"They have so many weapons. They're hard to keep under control for long periods of time," McCaffery said. "They've got you stretched out, both with John's offense and with the fact that they have multiple 3-point shooters."

There was more to come - another alley-oop dunk by Robinson from Burke and a perimeter shot by Burke after a slick crossover dribble. Once the Wolverines started rolling, there wasn't much Iowa could do.

"We came in here with a game plan designed to stop their transition game, and then we didn't do it," Iowa guard Anthony Clemmons said. "We just let them run, and there's no way you are going to beat Michigan if you let them get out on the break. They've just got too much talent."

Burke found Robinson inside for yet another dunk to make it 77-50, and Michigan led by as many as 35.

Michigan turned the ball over only six times. Burke shot 7 of 10 from the field with just one turnover.

"That's something that I admire because I know the more possessions we get, the better," Burke said. "Me being a point guard out there for this team, I know it's real important to make sure Nik gets the ball when he's open, make sure Tim gets the ball when he's driving. I try to value the ball as much as possible."

Updated January 6, 2013